What is the chief end of man?

This is the first question of The Shorter Catechism. The answer to this question is of course:

Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever.

It's fascinating that the Catechism starts by first looking at our end, our teleological end that is. But that only makes sense. Any true beginning must be viewed through the lense of its ultimate aim, it's ultimate consummation. Our end is used to bring all other things into focus, and to give light to our eyes. If I don't know what purpose I was created, then I will do anything and everything to find a purpose, and ultimately fail apart from God and Christ.

It says "to glorify God, and enjoy Him for ever" to the exclusion of many others: to have a ministry, to save souls, to obey, etc., etc. And certainly all of these are included, but why start here? Why does glorifying God come before enjoying Him? It would seem that glorifying Him would have to come before enjoying Him. How else could I enjoy Him, if I do not bring Him glory? It's exactly through glorifying God that I can enjoy Him because He is enjoying me. Now, I must say that all my attempts to glorify God will be feeble at best, but God nonetheless will turn my feeble efforts into a part of His marvelous tapestry, as long as my efforts aren't "my" efforts for Him.

Truly there is no greater or loftier purpose than bringing glory to our King, for we are told that no matter what we do, we are to do it all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). There is nothing greater that man can do. The only alternatives would be to either bring glory to one's self, which would soon result in one's humiliation, or to bring glory to another man, which would be idolatry. So, God is the necessary object of all glory!

And to "enjoy Him?" It would seem that enjoying Him would naturally follow from glorifying Him. We walk with Him "in the cool of the day." And what sweet enjoyment it is when my soul thirsts no longer and is refreshed by living water, and I partake of the bread from heaven. Such fare is too wonderful for me, and to great for me to ever have imagined!